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Wine Description
The Story
Whether by design or by pure chance, there are in the world exceptional places. Cheval Blanc is one of these. Combining a unique soil with a symbiotic mix of grape varieties, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, Cheval Blanc produces a wine, which has the rare quality of being good at any age. It is without doubt one of the most consistent wines in the world. Cheval Blanc's unique identity is due to its varied soils, early-ripening microclimate, the percentage of Cabernet Franc in the vineyard, and the close proximity of the finest wines of Pomerol.
Château Cheval Blanc has the rare ability to be good at whatever age. It is enjoyable young or as much as a century old in certain vintages. However, a great wine only reveals its full potential and all its subtle nuances after several years in bottle. It takes time to show its true colours and before reaching its peak. Every vintage of Cheval Blanc is made according to the traditional philosophy that great wine needs to age.
It should nevertheless be said that wines with ageing potential go through several periods, and that each one has its own type of attractiveness. This is all part of Château Cheval Blanc's fascinating complexity. Three different bottles of Cheval Blanc from the same vintage drunk at five, twenty, and forty years of age will each show a different facet of the same wine, variations on the same lovely theme. A bottle of fine wine meant to age is like a library of flavours that develop throughout its existence.
Wine is a "cultural" beverage that is very much alive and develops countless nuances over time. That is why this long waiting period needs to be respected. It is crucial to the wine's evolution, so that it can deliver its very best.
Wine Information
THE 1979 VINTAGE, OF AN AVERAGE
QUALITY, HAS RAPIDLY EVOLVED
AND IS TODAY BEYOND ITS APOGEE.
The color is still moderately deep with a distinctly orange-tinted rim.
The bouquet reveals scents of cedar wood and Havana, smoke and kirsch, evolving towards honey and dried date aromas. The slight menthol hints are the signature of the Cabernet Franc variety.
On the palate, the attack is supple and opens up most harmoniously. The structure is as fine as lace with a spicy finish combining clove and a slightly liquorice flavors.
This is a wine that has reached full maturity.
This year, lower temperatures than those usually recorded in the region delayed
the vine vegetation cycle as a whole. A damp spring was followed by a dry summer, enabling the grapes to ripen properly, with dry conditions through the autumn. Rainfall returned to higher than average values in mid-October, however. Like the previous year, the grapes were picked late, from October 8th to 18th.
Yields were quite high, especially for the Merlot variety.
Vintage 1979
Bordeaux / The year 1979 partly repeated the 1978 vintage with a wet and cool spring, a hot summer, a cool and dry autumn. Dry whites did well this year while reds, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, struggled to reach full physiological maturity. Once again, Mouton was a disappointment. The right bank did better with Merlot. The best wine of the vintage is the first Le Pin ever produced. Other excellent wines worth mentioning are La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion. Haut-Brion was a bargain at 200 euros. Sauternes wines also turned out to be quite good, the best of which was Yquem.
